Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Guest Post - Susan Kaye Quinn - Her new book is out TODAY!!

by Susan Kaye Quinn, author of Open Minds (Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy)

In my new young adult paranormal/SF novel Open Minds (Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy), everyone reads minds, except one girl.

Sixteen-year-old Kira Moore is a zero, someone who can’t read thoughts or be read by others. Zeros are outcasts who can’t be trusted, leaving her no chance with Raf, a regular mindreader and the best friend she secretly loves. When she accidentally controls Raf’s mind and nearly kills him, Kira tries to hide her frightening new ability from her family and an increasingly suspicious Raf. But lies tangle around her, and she’s dragged deep into a hidden world of mindjackers, where having to mind control everyone she loves is just the beginning of the deadly choices before her.

For this guest post, I went undercover as a regular mindreader working for the school’s morning tru-cast to interview Rafael Lobos Santos, a mindreading character in Open Minds (Note: I’m not this evil in real life; I just like to torment my characters).

Me:Raf, thanks for agreeing to do this interview with me!

Raf: (*tunes out stray thoughts from other students in the after school club meeting*) Sure. But I don't know why you want to interview me.

Me:Are you kidding? You were the rage of the morning tru-casts all last year: Sophomore Soccer Kicker Brings State Trophy To Hometown!

Raf: (*blushes*) Yeah, well, it was a team effort.

Me:But you were the star! Tell me, have you been working on some new strategies over the summer? Got some more synchronized plays like you sprung during the Championship Game?

Raf: (*grins*) Well, I did spend most of the summer at camp with the New Metro Flyers. It was very mesh. (*grin fades*) Although I missed being at home, you know? I'm really a homebody kind of guy.

Two girls cast daring looks at Raf and their mental admirations whisper by.

Me:Looks like you're not the only one glad you're back. So, do you have a favorite among your adoring fans?

Raf:What do you mean?

Me:Oh, come on! Inquiring minds want to know! Soccer superstar like you, but no girlfriend? Everyone's dying to know if you found someone while you were away for the summer! Or are you still on the market?

Raf: (*sighs*) I don't have a girlfriend.

Me:Well, that won’t last long. (*Raf doesn’t have a girlfriend, Raf doesn’t have a girlfriend echoes through the reader minds in the room.) So, is there any hope for your many fans? Anyone in particular you'd like to share more than just thoughts with?

Raf: (*scowls*) Not at the moment.

Me:No? Rumor has it that you've got eyes for that zero ...

Raf:Hey! Don't call her that ...

Me:Ah, you know who I mean. Sorry. It's just ... how can you trust someone like that, much less think about touching her? I mean, you have no idea what she's thinking. She could be plotting your murder or secretly torturing kittens.

Sixteen-year-old Kira Moore is a zero, someone who can’t read thoughts or be read by others. Zeros are outcasts who can’t be trusted, leaving her no chance with Raf, a regular mindreader and the best friend she secretly loves. When she accidentally controls Raf’s mind and nearly kills him, Kira tries to hide her frightening new ability from her family and an increasingly suspicious Raf. But lies tangle around her, and she’s dragged deep into a hidden world of mindjackers, where having to mind control everyone she loves is just the beginning of the deadly choices before her.